Technology has been like a helping hand, filling the gaps of labor loss. Scientists with USDA tout the ability to allow farmers and ranchers to be in multiple places at once.
“You can be mapping the plants, mapping their performance, like how big are they, are they under stress, what kind of stress are they experiencing? Water and drought stress - is it nutrient stress? Or you could be quantifying, have you lost plants out there like, do you have less plants just because something died? Then you could also be using that to deliver nutrients or deliver other types of management practices,” said Steven Mirsky.
Technology is costly, and that has been a barrier for a lot of small operations, with some drones, for example, reaching tens of thousands of dollars.
Commercial performance will determine whether the specialty sorghum market can expand across poultry-producing regions.
National Pork Producers Council’s Doug Frickey discusses this year’s event and what attendees are seeing on the expo floor.
Farm groups and equipment manufacturers say lower tariffs could help reduce machinery costs and support producers facing tight margins.
Data centers will continue expanding, but local decisions will determine whether that growth protects agricultural water access or adds stress to already vulnerable production regions.
Funding will support studies focused on production challenges, crop management and new opportunities for growers.
The trip gave researchers a firsthand look at Brazil’s massive sugarcane industry and production practices.
